Council adopts new rules to ensure safer firearms trade

The Council today adopted updated EU rules on the import, export, and transit of firearms.

The new regulation aims to close loopholes exploited for firearms trafficking while facilitating legitimate trade and movement of firearms.

The revised regulation will enhance the traceability of firearms for civilian use, by harmonising procedures across the EU and improving cooperation between national authorities. They also introduce measures to ensure that legally manufactured firearms exported from the EU are not diverted to the illegal market.

The new rules also aim to make procedures simpler and more efficient for legitimate users, such as hunters, sport shooters, and exhibitors, by introducing harmonised and digitalised processes. At the same time, they reduce administrative burdens for manufacturers and dealers while ensuring high security standards.

Next steps

The regulation will be published in the EU’s Official Journal and enter into force 20 days later.

Background

It is estimated that in 2017, civilians in the EU owned approximately 35 million illicit firearms, accounting for 56% of the estimated total number of firearms in circulation.

The previous firearms regulation, in force since 2012, set out rules governing the export, import, and transit of firearms, their parts and components, and ammunition. It implemented Article 10 of the United Nations Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components, and Ammunition.

This regulation complements the EU’s Firearms Directive, which establishes minimum common rules on the acquisition and possession of firearms within the EU, as well as their transfer between member states.

On 27 October 2022, the Commission presented a proposal to update the regulation.